Insider Threats Top Concern for UK Businesses as Recent Cases Show Severe Consequences
British businesses are increasingly worried about insider threats, with over half expressing concern, as revealed in a recent Cifas study. Meanwhile, recent cases highlight the severe consequences of malicious insiders, including prison sentences and significant financial losses.
In 2020, a former Cisco engineer was sentenced to 24 months in prison for causing millions in damages to the company. Closer to home, a Texas software developer, Davis Lu, faces up to 10 years in prison for intentionally damaging protected computers at his former employer, Eaton. Lu worked at Eaton from 2007 to 2019, but his role was reduced in 2018, leading to his decision to sabotage the company.
Lu created a 'kill switch' code, 'IsDLEnabledinAD', which activated upon his termination, locking out thousands of global users. He also deployed malware in August 2019 that caused crashes and blocked logins. Additionally, Lu created code designed to cause server crashes and delete profile files related to his colleagues. Eaton suffered hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses due to his actions. In another case, a former IT administrator, Levi Delgado, deleted employee user accounts and file servers at a medical center he previously worked at.
These cases underscore the real threat of malicious insiders and the need for robust security measures. Businesses must be vigilant in protecting their systems and data, even from those within their ranks.
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